BrentD
Well-known member
In the FWIW department, I just got back from 2 weeks of shooting various national matches at the Whittington Center outside of Raton New Mexico this year. This is something I've been doing for the last 10 yrs. Each year, we see a lot of pronghorns and quite a few mule deer. Many years, they look pretty tough, gaunt or just plumb skinny. I expected it to be even worse than usual this year. There have been lots fires in southern Colorado (about a rifle shot to the north) and the Philmont Boy Scout Camp all but burned down earlier this year and that's just over the horizon to the West, maybe 40 miles. But I was wrong. The antelope and deer were fat, plump, smooth coated, with many fawns, triples common, and best of all the bucks were big, some REALLY big.
Usually we see a few "nice" bucks on the Whit. They are 15 inchers, give or take a little. The kind of bucks that I shoot
But this year we saw at least 3 absolutely huge bucks on the Whit. I won't guess how long they were or what they would score, but they were the kind of bucks that "you will know it when you see it" B&C style bucks. Just no-doubt massive animals. Heavy horns with big prongs way up high and a whole bunch more than 15" lengths. Great animals.
Additionally, the mule deer were just as happy and well conditioned. We saw far more bucks than usual, but none particularly huge (yet?), the biggest being "nice" 4-pointers.
Anyway, the grass is green, the animals abundant and large. It should be good for anyone headed that way.
I'm going to Wyoming where I hear much the same stories - we will be pursuing mulies.
Usually we see a few "nice" bucks on the Whit. They are 15 inchers, give or take a little. The kind of bucks that I shoot
But this year we saw at least 3 absolutely huge bucks on the Whit. I won't guess how long they were or what they would score, but they were the kind of bucks that "you will know it when you see it" B&C style bucks. Just no-doubt massive animals. Heavy horns with big prongs way up high and a whole bunch more than 15" lengths. Great animals. Additionally, the mule deer were just as happy and well conditioned. We saw far more bucks than usual, but none particularly huge (yet?), the biggest being "nice" 4-pointers.
Anyway, the grass is green, the animals abundant and large. It should be good for anyone headed that way.
I'm going to Wyoming where I hear much the same stories - we will be pursuing mulies.
